NEXT LEVEL album thoughts

[PrincessAyu]

Originally Posted by amorphose

The singles are good (besides for Rule) but the rest of the album is the worst Ayu has ever done. It depresses me to say that, but that's how I actually feel. =\ The songs are so mediocre and I don't see it as a "next level" at all(...)

I agree with you and it saddens me too. I was disappointed with ayu's changing vocals over the last year, but I got to accept it more esp when I saw her singing Over in the CDL and all. But this is definitely the worst she's done. I can't believe people say it's their 2nd favourite tied with (miss)understood

NEXT LEVEL gives you a very false first impression of the tone for the rest of the album. It's soothing and nice, but repetitive. And it's actually a mash-up of ayu's "BLUE BIRD" and Brian Addams' "Boys of Summer".

Discomunnication... that's the worst interlude in the history of interludes. Energize sounds cutesy, but it's so empty somehow :/ it really lacks the "ayu factor".

Concerning Sparkle, I do like that. It still has the old Ayu in there somewhere and it's catchy.

The rest of the songs have catchy elements, musicwise. Such as the opening of LOVE n HATE. And the disco/techno elements I usually really like, in trance or others songs, but Ayu just made the new songs terrible. Also the vocals are many times distorted or overpowered by the background music... >_>;;

Then comes out of place ayu-factored-GREEN. Well GREEN is totally and completely out of place, but is SO soothing for your ears after the rest.

I just can't believe nearly everybody's saying "I _LOVE_ IT!!!" every year, with every album it's the same. Everybody always LOOOOOVES Ayu's stuff. That's really the influence of the product hamasaki ayumi huh? Because (miss)understood was a great album and people are comparing NEXT LEVEL to that album. I think you can only say after a few years of NEXT LEVEL having been around if it's as great as (miss)understood or not. At the moment many people are listening to it, but will they in ...3 years? For me there's no catchy elements in the new songs (save for Sparkle) or something that makes me actually want to hear a song.

I remember people saying RAINBOW was terrible, but RAINBOW definitely pwns NEXT LEVEL. But this is just my opinion, I'm almost scared to post since everyone's always so positive about ayu's stuff. No matter what it is. (save for a few of you)

ps. the poster above me says the interludes are amazing. Can't say disco-munnucation is anywhere near the class and unique element of well, "tasking" for example, or "Not yet".

[sitara]

Originally Posted by PrincessAyu

I just can't believe nearly everybody's saying "I _LOVE_ IT!!!" every year, with every album it's the same. Everybody always LOOOOOVES Ayu's stuff. That's really the influence of the product hamasaki ayumi huh? Because (miss)understood was a great album and people are comparing NEXT LEVEL to that album.

lololol, that's because we're her FANS!! :p
i didn't enjoy secret or guilty as much as NL, and also for these albums people were swooning!! can't be helped. i like NL despite of its flaws and too many interludes. you hate this release, but you might love the next it's not like you have to wait too long for new ayu material.

[SunshineSlayer]

Originally Posted by PrincessAyu

NEXT LEVEL gives you a very false first impression of the tone for the rest of the album. It's soothing and nice, but repetitive. And it's actually a mash-up of ayu's "BLUE BIRD" and Brian Addams' "Boys of Summer".

I totally didn't realize that until you mentioned it (boys of summer). I always thought that the music of Next Level was reminiscent of something but I couldn't quite remember. Now though, when i think of Boys of Summer, it is indeed very similar music wise and then the vocal melodies are rehashes of at times Blue Bird and at others Beautiful Fighters.

For the record though, Boys of Summer is Don Henley, not Brian Adams.

[*Petit*]

Originally Posted by SunshineSlayer

I totally didn't realize that until you mentioned it (boys of summer). I always thought that the music of Next Level was reminiscent of something but I couldn't quite remember. Now though, when i think of Boys of Summer, it is indeed very similar music wise and then the vocal melodies are rehashes of at times Blue Bird and at others Beautiful Fighters.

For the record though, Boys of Summer is Don Henley, not Brian Adams.

I agree, actually it reminds me a lot of the remix by DJ sammy (I know, the hypocrisy! LOL but I love his arrangements). I do find NEXT LEVEL to be a very typical DAI composition for ayu though, it reminds of like blue bird and several others (Ugh, I don't have my piano anymore, it's hard for me to do these comparisons.. >_>).